Recollections of a Billiard-marker by Leo Tolstoy
- Thread starter markjames
- Start date
Very cool.
It almost seems like an old times warning against playing pool. Like a “Trouble in River City” kind of thing. But.. it wasn’t the game that began his downfall, it was when he started going upstairs and losing his wits.
What did it mean when the marker said he would crawl under the table the first time they played? I didn’t get that. He asked for odds then, “as usual, I lost the first game, crawled under the table, and grunted.” After that, they hollered, “Splendid, but you haven’t cleaned off all the dust yet.”
Little confusing, but shoot, who am I to question Tolstoy? Just want a clearer picture painted in my head, I guess.
It almost seems like an old times warning against playing pool. Like a “Trouble in River City” kind of thing. But.. it wasn’t the game that began his downfall, it was when he started going upstairs and losing his wits.
What did it mean when the marker said he would crawl under the table the first time they played? I didn’t get that. He asked for odds then, “as usual, I lost the first game, crawled under the table, and grunted.” After that, they hollered, “Splendid, but you haven’t cleaned off all the dust yet.”
Little confusing, but shoot, who am I to question Tolstoy? Just want a clearer picture painted in my head, I guess.
Didn’t Tolstoy influence all the communist leaders? This could read like an indictment of the aristocracy then; a bunch of rich assholes shooting air barrels?
The aristocrats gamble huge sums, but are never seen to square up. They posture in the open, but all their actual dealings go on behind closed doors.
The working guy gets shit on, yet stays humble even when the rich guy is in his debt.
When the rich guy is finally called out by the local business owner he tucks his tail and runs away. His rock bottom could have been a new beginning, but instead he chooses to blow his dawg-gone brains out.
Yep, bunch of rich assholes shooting airbarrels. They could of at least gave the marker the last 80 rupees he was willing to settle for.